Mighty Leftover Loaf

Oh, the joys of a vegan buffet. All the different colours, tastes  and combos on your plate. Mmmm! Spectacular! So what to do with all of these leftovers when your company has gone home, and you're tired of eating the same dish over and over? Grasshopper stumbled on this Mighty Leftover Loaf, that tastes better than the separate dish it once was. And as a bonus, it makes a mighty fine cold pâté.

Mighty Leftover Loaf

For the base, grasshopper ground together a  Summer Bean Medley Salad, roasted garlic, fennel/radish salad, lemon juice, and bread crumbs, then added a sprinkle of chia seeds, dash of black pepper…cumin-ground and whole, and grind once again.

Oil glass loaf pan

Spread mixture in loaf pan.

Grind steamed carrots, and Easy Sweet Potato Dip.

Spread on legume mix.

Top with a thin layer of salsa.

Bake 375 till it smells right…30-40 minutes, and blackens slightly around the edges.

Love Grasshopper

Christmas Vegan Protein Bowl

I had the pleasure of having some wonderful vegetarian guests for dinner this season. Grasshopper fixed a delicious, satisfying vegan dish that was wow to everyone, full of protein and creative in texture. This recipe works well to suggest to cooks when you are the guest and they ask you what you eat. It can be made in 15 minutes if you have any precooked legumes and grains. This  lentil/mung bean combo and the whole kamut grains can be made in advance, frozen, and defrosted prior to use. If you substitute, Grasshopper suggests to choose small grains and legumes for a the best chews!
 Mmmm... just the right combo!

  

For instructions on how to prepare grains and legumes from scratch,
see these Grasshopper's Vegan Kitchen recipes:

LentilMungBeanCombo http://grasshopperkitchen.blogspot.ca/2012/12/lentil-mung-bean-lmb-perfect-combo.html
and
Comfort in Kamut  http://grasshopperkitchen.blogspot.ca/2011/10/comfort-in-kamut.html

        Grasshopper dreams up gourmet organic ingredients for Christmas dinner with coconut vinegar and morning soaking prep work.  Flavours enhance when this dish is made in advance.

Christmas Vegan Protein Bowl

   Precooked:

     1 cup cooked kamut grains or barley (or subsitute brown rice, wild rice, quinoa, or millet for gluten-free)

         2 cups cooked blend of black lentils and mung beans (or substitute a small bean combo such as black beans, adzukis)

  

  Presoaks: drained seeds and grains can be refridgerated until use.

•     water pre-soaking (just to cover) of  1 cup of sunflower seeds ( or substitute pumpkin seeds) for 6 hours, drain off the water
•     water pre-soaking (just to cover) of  1/2 cup of dried cranberries (or substitute dried raisins, or black currants) for 4 hours or until soft, saving the soaking liquid to flavour the dressing
•    (optional) make an infusion of  one tbsp rosemary and one thinly biased sliced garlic clove covered in about 1/4 cup olive oil,  in a clear glass jar, covered and soaking in the sun  for the day, then strained   

   Raw Veg:

•  3 washed celery stalks, sliced thinly on a diagonal 
• 1 tsp thinly sliced red onion  (optional) 
• 1/4 cup washed and chopped parsley

 Dressing:
          1/4 cup infused (optional) olive oil (see above)

         2 tbsp fresh squeezed lemon juice

        1 tbsp balsamic vinegar (or  substitute apple cider or red wine)

        1/4 cup soaking liquid from dried cranberries (fruit)

         1 tbsp ginger root, sliced thinly on a diagonal, then coarsely chopped 

         1 tsp ground cumin

        1/4 tsp black pepper

         salt to taste

Whip the ingredients together with a fork. 
       

 Final Alchemic Mix:

  Toss all ingedients into a large bowl. Coat with dressing immediately. Serve at room temperature for good digestion.

Love Grasshopper

Hearty Roasted Squash, Greens and Shrooms

   Growing squash in a climate that doesn't rain for 6 weeks, is a feat. However when the vine finally reached the sun, and the september rains came, so did this larger than store-bought, beautiful butternut squash. Sliced in thick slabs of half-moons, and roasted in the oven created the most flavourful bites ever, with nothing else added but the drizzle of olive oil! Grasshopper started planning next years crop immediately, then came up with this great blend.

   For calcium, a fabulous bunch of greens like collards or dandelion add bonus nutrition. Remember to avoid spinach, chard and beet greens if it's calcium you want. Onions have been known to give some people digestion difficulties, so dark green celery stalks are flavouring this vegetable medley.

   This dish is so tasty, it's going on the christmas dinner menu with it's lovely flecks of red pepper.

 Hearty Roasted Squash, Greens and Shrooms      
Serves 6 as a side dish
   1 large butternut squash
   1  bunch of collards (or dandelion greens)
   4 portabella mushrooms
   5 stalks of celery
   1/4 c thinly sliced roasted red peppers

   olive oil

  Wash, peel, and slice squash into one inch thick halfmoons. place in roast pan with a drizzle of olive oil just to coat. Roast in 350* oven, turning, till done. Wash celery, then slice with a long diagonal cut so that you create celery strips. Saute slowly in large skillet with olive oil till soft, set aside. Wash, remove thick veins and rollup greens into a tubelike form. Thinly slice greens across the tube, vertically. Steam for moments, till limp and keeping bright green colour, set aside. Prepare portabella mushrooms, slice in half, then in 1/2 inch slices. Add to celery and saute till done. Cut squash wedges into cubes. Add roasted red peppers to skillet, then greens and squash. Cook on low for 5 minutes, just to blend flavours.

Enjoy!
Love Grasshopper